JESSIE Bates was doubly rewarded when clear in 38.07 in the individual jump-off round of the John Ledingham intermediate competition on Wednesday, the third and final day of the Irish Pony Club Festival at Barnadown.

The Killinick representative not only won the class prizes, but also the Treo Eile bursary as her willing partner was the thoroughbred gelding Guns For Hire, a nine-year-old Scorpion gelding, whose best result from nine outings on the track, and three in point-to-points, was when third in a novices’ selling hurdle at Southwell in June 2021 when trained in Wales by Evan Williams.

The Intermediate team competition, contested by 24 squads, was won by the Island Stars quartet of Isabell Walsh (Bells Nugget), Shannon Hickey (Lilacs Parks Patrick), Jack Jones (Cojorojo) and Dylan Barrett (Glenbawn Lass).

Meath’s Grace Hanna was presented with the Beauregard Cup, following her win in the 21-runner Open/Senior Associates individual competition on the Irish Sport Horse mare Mullentine Sure Diamond. Hanna, who has qualified for the Pony Club combined training at next month’s Dublin Horse Show with her other horse Clerkson, competes at 1.10m Showjumping Ireland level with Mullentine Sure Diamond, an 18-year-old chesnut by Mullentine Cavalier.

The Wexford Branch fielded the sole Open team in Ciara Sinnott (Smooth Passin Sarco), Molly Hennessy Murphy (Ballymacar Rose), Kyle Cummins (Billy Ignite) and Cora Finn (Shakespeare Romeo Montague).

Hanna’s younger fellow Branch members, the Meath Wrens, travelled back to the Royal County with the Robbie Bailey trophy, following their victory in the Junior team competition.

The successful quartet comprised cousins, Holly and Katie Ann Lydon (on Clarallan Dancer and Mia), Bridget Corcoran (Sizzling Sisco) and Kate Russell (Mysterious Mandy).

The Gerry G Trophy for the winner of the individual competition was presented to Kildare’s Charlotte Butler, who recorded the fastest of 11 clears in the jump-off on the 16-year-old 138cm grey gelding Billy Two Shoes.

Mentioned above, the Killinick Branch had the perfect start to the TRI-sponsored show jumping Section of the 2024 IPC Festival by dominating Tuesday’s Alice Mernagh Under 12s’ competition.

The Branch’s Austin Murphy (Look Out Atlantic Charm), Jack Codd (Killea Charley), Max Doran (Bilbo Baggins) and Shannon Griffith (Curraghmore Sparrow) won the 29-strong team competition and Griffith, Doran and Murphy then filled the top three places in the individual.